One of the greatest privileges granted by God to Christians is access into his presence in prayer. We probably think mainly of coming to God the Father in prayer and we do indeed come as his children by grace. We should, however, think of prayer in Trinitarian terms, bearing in mind the involvement of all three Persons of the Trinity in God’s work of salvation. This is put into practice by Paul. Consider now Ephesians 3:14-21 A Trinitarian prayer.
1. Adoption by the Father
‘For this reason’ (v14) refers back to Paul’s statements in cpt.2 about believers being ‘built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit’ (2:22). Thinking about God’s work of salvation should lead to prayer. Each Person of the Trinity is included, beginning with the Father. ‘I kneel before the Father’. Paul’s focus is on his relationship to us: ‘from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name’ (v15). The family of believers derives its existence from him. By nature we are ‘children of wrath’ (2:3) but by grace we are regenerated and adopted into God’s family. It is a warm, loving relationship (Psalm 103:14) and Romans 8:15).
2. Empowering by the Spirit
Part of the Father’s loving provision ‘out of his glorious riches’ (v16) is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Paul prays specifically that ‘he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being’. He is ‘another Counsellor’ (John 14:16) – one ‘called alongside’ to help, support, guide. The evidence of his presence at Pentecost was the sound of wind and the tongues of fire (Acts 2:2). He cultivates inward strength as ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:22), which will be seen outwardly in works of service for God’s glory.
3. Enlightening by the Son
The Spirit works ‘so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith’ (v17). Christ indwells his people by the Spirit (John 14:23). Paul’s prayer for the results of that indwelling:
(i). ‘rooted and established in love’: the foundation of the Christian life is love for God, responding to his love and overflowing to others (1 John 4:19)
(ii). ‘power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ’: he enlightens our minds to grasp a little of the vastness of God’s saving purpose, along with knowing ‘this love that surpasses knowledge’, since we can know only in part. It is not done alone – ‘together with all the saints’.
(iii). ‘filled to the measure of all the fulness of God’: knowledge transforms life so that we are changed into the likeness of Christ by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).
4. Concluding doxology
The fitting response to all this is worship. ‘to him be glory…’ (v21). God is worthy to receive more praise than we can ever give him. He is ‘able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine’ (v20) – his infinite power motivates our prayers for needed resources.